Cram, Coe and Ashford Win in Italy

Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe of Britain ran the fastest times of the year at 800 and 1,500 meters, respectively, and Evelyn Ashford defeated world champion Marlies Gohr of East Germany in the women’s 100 meters in an international track and field meet Sunday at Rieti, Italy.

Coe easily won the 1,500 in 3:29.77 to just miss the world record of 3:29.46 set by Morocco’s Said Aouita’s in 1985. The time also made Coe the fourth fastest runner of all time and broke his personal best of 3 minutes, 31.95 seconds set five years ago.

Ashford, the Olympic 100-meter champion and world record-holder, ran 10.88 seconds in finishing a half meter ahead of Gohr.

Cram ran the 800 in 1:43.19. He had the previous 1986 best of 1:43.22 in the Commonwealth Games in July.